An acoustofluidic device is provided comprising a) a substrate, and b) an ultrasound transducer attached to, or in contact with, the substrate. The substrate and the ultrasound transducer combined have a first set of acoustic natural system resonances determined by the material and the dimensions of the substrate and ultrasound transducer. Each system resonance comprises a resonance frequency and a resonance quality factor. The device further comprises c) a microfluidic cavity provided in the substrate and containing a fluid, the cavity having a second set of acoustic natural cavity resonances, each having a resonance frequency and a resonance quality factor, determined by the dimensions of the cavity and the speed of sound in the fluid. The material and the dimensions of the substrate and ultrasound transducer are selected so that at least one individual cavity resonance has a resonance frequency corresponding to the frequency of a minimum in an impedance spectrum of the ultrasound transducer. Method of producing the acoustofluidic device, as well as method of tracking a resonance frequency and performing an acoustofluidic operation are also provided.

The present disclosure provides apparatuses, systems, and methods for performing particle analysis through flow cytometry at comparatively high event rates and for gathering high resolution images of particles.

A system for separating particles or cells by magnetic ratcheting has a vector of spaced apart magnetic bars on a substrate. The system can be used to separate and concentrate magnetic objects based on iron oxide content. For cells, different phenotypes may be separated based on surface expression of proteins or molecules that are bound to magnetic beads. A magnetic field generator generates a cycling magnetic field that acts to separate magnetic particles or cells from non-magnetic particles or cells in a solution.

A method, system and apparatus for anti-sorting particles is disclosed. In an example embodiment, particles move in a fluid along a microfluidic channel. A measurement device determines which particles are selected or desired particles by measuring a desired characteristic of the particles and outputting an associated signal. The energy source continuously imparts a force on unselected or undesired particles in a deflection region of the microfluidic channel to remove the unselected or undesired particles from the stream of particles. Based upon the signal outputted by the measurement device, the energy source is controlled to reduce or eliminate the force on selected particles such that the selected particles flow on a natural or expected flow path to a collection area such as an output channel. By avoiding application of force to desired particles, the anti-sorting systems and methods can improve viability and other characteristics of the desired particles.

A MEMS-based particle manipulation system which uses a particle manipulation stage and a plurality of laser interrogation regions. The laser interrogation regions may be used to assess the effectiveness or accuracy of the particle manipulation stage. In one exemplary embodiment, the particle manipulation stage is a microfabricated, flap-type fluid valve, which sorts a target particle from non-target particles in a fluid stream. The laser interrogation stages are disposed in the microfabricated fluid channels at the input and output of the flap-type sorting valve. The laser interrogation regions may be used to assess the effectiveness or accuracy of the sorting, and to control or adjust sort parameters during the sorting process. One or more feedback loops may be used to improve the particle manipulation process, based on data acquired during the first interrogation and/or during a downstream confirmation. Artificial intelligence techniques may be used to good effect. A variable gain detector may improve the speed and sensitivity of the system.

An optofluidic device includes: a housing having an inlet port coupled to an inlet side and an outlet port coupled to an outlet side; and a microlens disposed within the housing between the inlet side and the outlet side. A fluid having a plurality of particles flows from the inlet side through the microlens to the outlet side. The optofluidic device further includes a light source configured to emit a light beam in a direction opposite flow direction of the fluid, the light beam defining an optical axis that is perpendicular to the microlens.

A system and method for sorting sperm is provided. The system includes a housing and a microfluidic system supported by the housing. The system also includes an inlet providing access to the microfluidic system to deliver sperm to the microfluidic system and an outlet providing access to the microfluidic system to harvest sorted sperm from the microfluidic system. The microfluidic system provides a flow path for sperm from the inlet to the outlet and includes at least one channel extending from the inlet to the outlet to allow sperm delivered to the microfluidic system through the inlet to progress along the flow path toward the outlet. The microfluidic system also includes a filter including a first plurality of micropores arranged in the flow path between the inlet and the outlet to cause sperm traveling along the flow path to move against through the filter and gravity to reach the outlet.

A microfluidic chip assembly having a plurality of microfluidic flow channels is provided. Each channel has a switching region. The microfluidic chip may further include at least one bubble jet actuator configured to generate a pressure pulse in the switching regions of the channels to selectively deflect particles in the flow. The bubble jet actuator may be configured as a blind chamber, as an operative non-through flow chamber and/or as a self-replenishment chamber. The bubble jet actuator may include a trapped air bubble. The bubble jet actuator may include a plurality of heating elements individually controlled for pre-nucleation warmup and/or for triggering vapor bubble nucleation.

A MEMS-based particle manipulation system which uses a particle manipulation stage and optical confirmation of the manipulation. The optical confirmation may be camera-based, and may be used to assess the effectiveness or accuracy of the particle manipulation stage. In one exemplary embodiment, the particle manipulation stage is a microfabricated, fluid valve, which sorts a target particle from non-target particles in a fluid stream. The optical confirmation stage is disposed in the microfabricated fluid channels at the input and output of the microfabricated sorting valve. Deep learning techniques are brought to bear on the camera output to increase speed, accuracy and reliability.

Techniques regarding nanofluidic chips with a plurality of inlets and/or outlets in fluid communication with one or more nanoDLD arrays are provided. For example, one or more embodiments described herein can comprise a nanoscale deterministic lateral displacement array between and in fluid communication with a global inlet and a global outlet. The nanoscale deterministic lateral displacement array can further be between and in fluid communication with a local inlet and a local outlet. Also, the nanoscale deterministic lateral displacement array can laterally displace a particle comprised within a sample fluid supplied from the global inlet to a collection region that directs the particle to the local outlet. An advantage of such an apparatus can be the expanded versatility of the nanoscale deterministic lateral displacement array for sample preparation applications involving nanoparticles not accessible to other higher throughput microscale microfluidic technologies.